Abortion survivor joins debate

Barry Prismall

An American "abortion survivor" will lobby federal politicians in Canberra tomorrow, ahead of a Senate debate next month on late term abortions.

Gianna Jessen, 31, will relate her extraordinary story at Parliament House. She is being sponsored by the Australian Christian Lobby.

Tasmanian Senator Guy Barnett has moved in the Senate to ban Medicare funding of late-term and second trimester abortions  between 14 and 26 weeks  which he says has cost $1.7 million in Medicare payments since 1994.

The Senate vote will take place on September 17. It comes as the Victorian Parliament is debating Brumby Government moves to decriminalise abortion.

Gianna Jessen, who is due in Australia tonight, has cerebral palsy as a result of the botched abortion in Los Angeles 31 years ago.

On her website, she says she was aborted when her mother was seven months pregnant, but was saved by a nurse after being burned in the womb by a saline solution for 18 hours.

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"I remained in the solution for approximately 18 hours and was delivered on April 6, 1977 at 6am in a Californian abortion clinic a nurse called an ambulance while the abortionist was not yet on duty," she says.

"A saline abortion is a solution of salt saline that is injected into the mother's womb. It burns the baby inside and out and then the mother is to deliver a dead baby this happened to me."

Senator Barnett yesterday said he believed the numbers would be tight in the Senate vote, and said the Coalition leadership had approved a conscience vote for MPs. The Labor Party had yet to decide.

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Both major parties have granted conscience votes in the past on social and moral issues such as abortion, including the vote in 2006 to removed the right of then Health Minister Tony Abbott to block abortion pill RU486.

The Australian Christian Lobby described Ms Jessen as a strong advocate for the value of life and the harm caused by abortion.

About 20,000 abortions are performed in Victoria each year under the protection of a 1969 Supreme Court ruling. Of these, about 300 occur beyond 20 weeks.

Under a bill introduced into the Victorian Parliament, women will be able to have an abortion free from prosecution during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Late-term abortions would be allowed if at least two doctors believe it is appropriate on medical grounds, taking into account "the woman's current and future physical, psychological and social circumstances".

The bill has the backing of both Premier John Brumby and Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu, although prominent members on both sides oppose it. These include Nationals leader Peter Ryan and Coalition frontbencher Robert Clark, as well as ministers James Merlino and Theo Theophanous. They have been given a conscience vote. The Australian Medical Association supports the bill.

If the Senate motion is approved, it will mean that women who have late-term abortions will have to do so at their own cost  even if the Victorian bill becomes law.

Senator Barnett said he fully understood how women may be offended by male commentary on abortion, and he understood the intimacy of the pain suffered by women who considered having an abortion. But he said he was more persuaded by the rights of a child to live and grow up.

"I believe the money saved in Medicare payments for abortions should be spent on pregnancy support services. "At this critical time for women of whatever means, emotional and financial support is needed," Senator Barnett said.